Poke Sallet

OK. I just spoke to my father who happened to be standing around with a bunch of other guys in Corbin. They all agreed that poke sallet cooked alone wasn't "nothing special" And that it was usually mixed with mustard or some other greens.

They also said that it was definitely best when picked young. However, none of them thought that it would cause any harm if eaten after the berries. They said that it just wasn't as good. I think they may have said it was "more tough"

Apparently, I've also been signed up for a lesson from my father in finding and picking poke sallet come this Spring...and once I have some, I'll try to remember to donate to the forum. Dad confirmed "it pretty much grows everywhere. It's a weed."

Thanks Leann..Sometimes I think I have tried everything imaginable until something comes along that I have never, ever heard of. The fact that a lot of "old timers" around these parts foraged for their food is reminiscent of countries such as Italy where, to this day, gather vegetables, fruits and nuts growing wild outside their homes. When you think that Italy have very modern supermarkets and why that population will forage whereas in the US we are totally dependent on supermarkets.

I agree Madeline. It would be nice if we knew a bit more about where our food comes from. I didn't mention it in my answer above, but my questions about poke sallet started my father on another tangent about eating dandelion greens. Basically, he said "Now Leann, I know you remember eating dandelion greens from the yard" As I mentioned in one of my first comments, I was pretty much given anything and everything to eat from my grandparent's garden and yard. I didn't always know what I was eating, but everything was good -- and nothing killed me.

I still know where to find the best "dew berries" in Corbin. If my husband would stop killing them, I'd gather dandelion greens from our yard. Unfortunately, he considers them more of a weed, than food. He also looks horrified when I grab a random piece of onion grass and put it in my mouth.